Canadiens News and Rumors: Kotkaniemi, Price, Poehling & More

In this week’s edition of Montreal Canadiens news and rumors, the Carolina Hurricanes have put the Habs in quite the predicament with their signed offer sheet to Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Carey Price should be ready for training camp and Ryan Poehling signs a new deal.

Plus, Montreal releases its preseason schedule and France Margaret Bélanger gets a historic promotion within the organization.

Will They Match or Won’t They?

It was shaping up to be a rather tame news and rumors post this week until the Hurricanes dropped the bombshell news on Saturday night that they have tendered an offer sheet to Kotkaniemi. The Habs now have until next Saturday to decide if they will match the one-year, $6.1 million deal. Carolina reportedly tried to trade for the 21-year-old before going the offer sheet route, but the two teams couldn’t find common ground.

Meanwhile, the Habs’ rookie camp will get underway on September 15. They will play the Senators’ rookies in Ottawa on September 18 and in Montreal as well. The team’s annual golf tournament will be held on September 21, the day before training camp opens.

A Historic Promotion for France Margaret Bélanger

France Margaret Bélanger has been appointed to the position of President, Sports and Entertainment of Groupe CH by Canadiens owner Geoff Molson.

Bélanger joined the organization in 2013 as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer and has taken on several different roles since.

She is the first woman to serve on the executive committee of the Montreal Canadiens in its 104-year history. She also serves, alongside Molson, as an NHL Alternate Governor for the Canadiens. In 2020, she was chosen by Commissioner Gary Bettman to sit on the NHL Executive Inclusion Council.

What’s Next for the Canadiens?

It’s going to feel like a long week as we wait for the Kotkaniemi decision to come down and the fallout that ensues from it. Bergevin always says to expect the unexpected, so don’t be alarmed if he surprises us yet again over the next little while as he attempts to improve and finalize his roster for the upcoming season amid a bit of chaos, which really is nothing new for him.